High populations of many insects are considered a pest by man and attempts are made to control the populations. Large populations may be a public health or simply nuisance factor, as, for example, with ants or wasps, or may actually cause physical damage to property, as for example, with termites. Many attempts have been made in the past to treat an insect population with a toxic material to control the population.
On the other hand, high populations of some insects, such as honey bees, are considered beneficial and it is desirable to treat such populations to maintain their health and control disease within the population.